Firefly Mk.1
Fairy Firefly F MK.1 Z2033 in storage at the Fleet Air Arm Museum reserve at Cobham Hall near to the main museum at RNAS Yeovilton.
Built at Hayes in 1944 with construction number F5607, this Firefly was issued to 15 maintenance unit at Wroughton in April of that year and then moved to 731 NAS at Easthaven in March 1945. Following a taxiing accident it went to Fairey Aircraft at Hamble for repairs in August 1945, after which it was used in spinning and other trials at Fairy's Ringway site and at Boscombe Down. It was eventually converted to a TT Mk.1 and sold to Sweden in 1949 and used by the Swedish Air Force as a target-tug for 13 years. In 1964 it was acquired by Skyfame Aircraft Museum at Staverton, and then by the Imperial War Museum in 1978 at Duxford who still own it. It has been on loan to the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton since 2000, but moved back to Duxford in 2024.
It is painted in Pacific theatre markings of Firefly DK431 / 275 of 1771 Squadron RN, HMS Implacable 1945, the personal aircraft of CO Lt Cdr MacWhirter (but retaining its original serial Z2033). The nose art includes a map of Japan on the forward fuselage and the name 'Evelyn Tentions' on the cowling.
Firefly Mk.1
Fairy Firefly F MK.1 Z2033 in storage at the Fleet Air Arm Museum reserve at Cobham Hall near to the main museum at RNAS Yeovilton.
Built at Hayes in 1944 with construction number F5607, this Firefly was issued to 15 maintenance unit at Wroughton in April of that year and then moved to 731 NAS at Easthaven in March 1945. Following a taxiing accident it went to Fairey Aircraft at Hamble for repairs in August 1945, after which it was used in spinning and other trials at Fairy's Ringway site and at Boscombe Down. It was eventually converted to a TT Mk.1 and sold to Sweden in 1949 and used by the Swedish Air Force as a target-tug for 13 years. In 1964 it was acquired by Skyfame Aircraft Museum at Staverton, and then by the Imperial War Museum in 1978 at Duxford who still own it. It has been on loan to the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton since 2000, but moved back to Duxford in 2024.
It is painted in Pacific theatre markings of Firefly DK431 / 275 of 1771 Squadron RN, HMS Implacable 1945, the personal aircraft of CO Lt Cdr MacWhirter (but retaining its original serial Z2033). The nose art includes a map of Japan on the forward fuselage and the name 'Evelyn Tentions' on the cowling.